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Trevanyi of the region were suspect, and the Drossets would sleep little this
night as they debated the culpability of each.
Glinnes prepared himself a meal and ate out on the verandah. Afternoon became
avness, that melancholy dying-time of day, when all the sky and far spaces
became suffused with the color of watered milk.
The chime of the telephone provided a sudden discord. Glinnes went within to
find the face of
Thammas Lord Gensifer looking forth from the screen. Glinnes touched the
vision push button. "Good afternoon, Lord Gensifer. "A good afternoon to
you, Glinnes Hulden! Are you ready to play
Hussade? I don't mean at this very instant, of course." Glinnes responded
with a cautious question of his own. "I take it your plans have matured?"
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"Yes. The Fleharish Gorgons are now organized and ready to begin practice. I
have your name penciled in at right strike." "And who is left strike?" Lord
Gensifer looked down at his list.
"A very promising young man by the name of Savat. You two should make a
brilliant combination."
"Savat? I've never heard of him. Who are the wings?" Lucho and Helsing?
Hmm. None of these names are familiar. Are these the players you originally
had in mind?"
"Lucho, of course. As for the others-well, that list was always tentative, to
be amended whenever something better could be arranged. As you well know,
Glinnes, some of these established players are fairly inflexible. We're better
off with people willing and anxious to learn.
Enthusiasm, zest, dedication! These are the qualities that make for winning!"
"I see. Who else has signed up?"
Iskelatz and Wilmer Guff are the rovers, how does that sound? You won't find
two better rovers in the prefecture. The guards-Rarnos is a crackerjack-and
Pylan, who is also very good. Sinforetta and Bump Candolf are not quite so
mobile, but they are solid; no one will drive them aside. Ill-
play captain and "Eh? What's this? Did I hear you correctly?" Lord Gensifer
frowned. "I'll play captain," he said in a measured voice. "And that more or
less is the team, except for substitutes."
Glinnes was silent a moment or two. Then he asked, "What about the fund?"
"The fund will be three thousand ozols, said Lord Gensifer primly. "For the
first few games we'll play a conservative fifteen hundred ozols, at least
until the team jells." "I see. When and where will you practice?" At
Saurkash field, tomorrow morning. I take it then that you'll definitely play
with the Gorgons? "I'll certainly come down tomorrow and we'll see how
things go. But let me be candid, Lord Gensifer. A captain is the most
important man on the team. He can make us or break us. We need an experienced
captain. I doubt if you have that experience."
Lord Gensifer became haughty. "I have made a thorough study of the game. I've
gone through
Kalenshenko's Hussade Tactics three times; I've mastered the Ordinary Hussade
Manual; I've
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E...ck%20Vance%20-%20Alastor%202262
-Trullion.txt (33 of 82) [12/29/2004 12:50:34 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Jack%20Vance%20-%20Alastor%
202262-Trullion.txt explored all the latest theories, such as Counter-flow
Principle, the Double Pyramid System, Overvallation. "All this may be true,
Lord Gensifer. Many people can theorize about the game, but the reflexes are
ultimately important, and unless you've played a great deal- Lord Gensifer
said stiiffy, "If you'll do your best, everyone else will do theirs. Is there
anything more?& At the fourth gong, then." The screen went dead.
Glinnes growled in dismay. For half a broken ozol he'd tell Lord Gensifer to
play captain, forward, rover, guard, and sheirl together. Lord Gensifer as
captain indeed! At least he had his money back, with compensation for the
beating. Almost five thousand ozols: a tidy sum, which he ought to put in a
safe place.
Glinnes sealed the money in a pottery jar like that the Drossets had used. He
buried it in the back yard.
An hour later a boat issued from Ilfish Water and came across Ambal Broad.
Within sat Vang
Drosset and his two sons. As they passed the Rabendary dock, Vang Drosset rose
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to his feet and scrutinized the Hulden boat with eyes like needles. Glinnes
had removed all the goods with which he had tempted Vang Drosset; the boat was
undistinguishable from a hundred others. Glinnes sat on the verandah, feet on
the rail. Vang Drosset and his sons looked from the boat to Glinnes, eyes full
of suspicion; Glinnes returned the gaze impassively.
The Drosset boat continued up Farwan Water, the Drossets muttering among
themselves and looking back toward Glinnes. There went the men who had killed
his brother, thought Glinnes.
Chapter 10
* * *
Lord Gensifer, wearing a new maroon and black uniform, stood on a bench and
addressed his players. "This is an important day for all of us, and for the
history of hussade in Jolany
Prefecture! Today we start to mold the most efficient, adroit, and ruthless
team ever to ravage the hussade fields of Merlank. Some of you are proficient
already, with reputations; others are still unknown. Glinnes, considering
the fifteen men around him, reflected that the proportion of these two sorts
was on the order of one dedication, discipline, and sheer- Here Lord
Gensifer used the word kerchcfan: effort conducing to superhuman feats of
strength and will, we will sweep all before us! We'll expose the fundament of
every virgin between here and Port Jaime! We'll carry booty home in buckets;
we'll be rich and famous, one and all!
"But first the toil and sweat of preparation. I have diligently researched the
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